-Chapter 197-
-POV Aemon Targaryen-
"Hmmm, this matter is really complicated," said Daemon, frowning before getting up and starting to pace, trying to put his thoughts in order, then adding:
"But at the same time, it's extremely simple."
'Funny enough, I have exactly the same habit as him.'
I raised an eyebrow, because what he had just said was contradictory, and Daemon chose to explain himself:
"You have the choice to do whatever you want. You could already raise one of the two factions above the other while suppressing the other, which would lead to the victory of the side you supported in this damned war of succession that will, without a doubt, take place upon my brother's death."
'I could,' I thought, since it was the simplest solution.
Daemon continued:
"But that's clearly not the path you've chosen. You've chosen to stay out of these useless conflicts, continuing to increase the number of your armed forces, the amount of coin resting in your coffers, the number of your allies, and of course not forgetting the number of dragonriders loyal to you, placing yourself above both factions in an untouchable position, so you can wear down both sides and protect yourself from a possible stab in the back from the winner in an uncertain future."
I nodded, as it was a rather accurate summary.
Then Daemon stopped walking for a few seconds, staring only at my face before shaking his head and sitting back down:
"You think too much. If I had been in your place, I would have simply taken that damn crown off that fool's head and married my children into both branches, while suppressing them without the slightest hesitation."
I nodded again, agreeing with him to some extent, since it was a good solution in principle, but…
'That's not what I want.'
"In such a future, I would make my children and my bloodline prime targets for everyone, and that is not what I want for them," I said.
Daemon wanted to say something, but in the end he held back and said nothing, though I thought I knew what he intended to say.
'They already are, because I am their father.'
"So, you must either choose the right side to support right now, or keep both sides in check until Viserys passes into the afterlife," said Daemon, rubbing his chin, simply summarizing my options.
"Yes, that's basically it," I said with a sigh.
"You already have your answer, Aemon," said Daemon to my great surprise, before adding, eyebrows furrowed, clearly displeased with my attitude:
"You already know what you want to do, but you're letting yourself be eaten alive by all those women who constantly follow you wherever you go. Don't forget who is the head of your House. It's you who must make the decisions and give the orders, not your mother, not your wife, and certainly not Rhaenys Targaryen."
"I still…"
"Promised her she would kill with her own hands an insignificant man, dragging you into everything you've always tried to avoid since your youth: a bloody war. No, it's not even a bloody war you would have triggered by having that filth killed by a member of our family, but a war of faith," said Daemon, continuing a moment later while shaking his head:
"We would have won, but that stain would have placed us, without a shadow of a doubt, at the same rank as Maegor in the minds of the commoners of the Seven Kingdoms, and we would be called demons. When we divert attention, our own men could turn against us."
I raised my eyebrows, surprised to see a Daemon who had clearly matured and gained a great deal of experience after all these years of conflict between us, then I asked:
"Since when are you afraid of sheep?"
Daemon didn't appreciate the little joke at all and said:
"I fear no one… but it's undeniable that even a dragon could die, trampled by the hooves of a million sheep."
'I doubt it,' I thought, not entirely convinced, but I understood the metaphor.
"Hmm," I said, nodding several times as I observed his expression, my mind drifting from this conversation to try and recall a similar discussion we might have had in my life.
'What a waste,' I thought, for if he had been a father to me and my parents had formed a true couple, the problems I now faced might never have occurred.
"You're still undecided."
"Yes… I suppose I'll have to tell my mother-in-law that I will make no alliance whatsoever with Rhaenyra before she sits on the Iron Throne."
"But…"
"But I feel that Laena thinks like her mother, and that bothers me because I don't want to create a rift between us over this matter."
"She's already borne you three children; you're bound until death," said Daemon before adding:
"Either you give in to their whims for a moment of peace, or you move forward as you always have, holding your head high and imposing your vision to build what you believe will be a lasting peace. The choice is yours."
"Hmm, you're right," I said, regaining the determination that had been shaken by the opinions of those around me.
"Well, now that we've finished with this subject, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked my father, curious to know what he wanted.
Daemon straightened slightly and then said:
"I've decided to marry Johanna."
I couldn't help but be surprised, because even though I knew about their bedroom antics, marriage was an entirely different matter.
Sooner or later, Daemon would regain control over Baelon through Johanna, and that could bring back certain ideas buried until now that I didn't think had truly disappeared.
'And this is really not the time for me to lose Baelon.'
But at the same time, there was nothing I could do about it.
At least I had completely regained control in Lys, and Johanna had lost almost all her influence there.
With her marriage to Daemon, she had just sealed that fate.
Unless she threw herself into the bed of powerful magisters or admirals, she would no longer be able to use seduction on them.
'And if she dares go that far, Daemon might very well make her Caraxes' supper.'
"You're not saying anything," said Daemon, seeing that I was lost in thought and showing neither anger nor joy at his announcement.
"Congratulations," I said, keeping an outwardly impassive expression while my mind kept calculating all the possible repercussions of this matter.
'I need to speed up my plan to conquer the Basilisk Isles,' I thought, feeling more and more urgency to be able to…
yyyyy
I frowned, then got up and focused all my attention on my hearing.
"What's wrong?" asked Daemon, seeing my sudden change in behavior.
"Listen," I said, still straining my ears to catch the sound I had just heard, one I thought I recognized as that of a dragon.
YYYYYY
But I didn't know any dragon that made that kind of roar.
"You don't hear it?" I asked, raising my head this time and seeing Daemon frown, concentrating to perceive the sound.
"Is it a dragon?" he asked me, unsure, and I realized that it was thanks to my extraordinary hearing that I could pick up the sound, while he could barely hear it.
I nodded, then quickly went to my balcony to catch sight of the dragon in question. And when I didn't see it, I understood that it was without a doubt a large dragon.
'Perhaps even a very large one,' I thought, feeling a terrible premonition.
ROAR OF VERMITHOR
ROAR OF URRAX
ROAR OF VHAGAR
Hearing the roars of the largest dragons alive, I realized the problem was serious and that only one dragon could provoke such agitation.
As if by magic, the moment I thought of the predator residing on Dragonstone, the Cannibal emerged from the clouds, soaring like a king above the capital.
"What the hell is this," murmured Daemon, spotting the rider on the back of the gigantic dragon.
• [Name: Aemond Targaryen]
• [Age: 11 years]
• {Attributes}
[Constitution: 34]
[Strength: 17]
[Endurance: 23]
[Dexterity: 56]
[Agility: 33]
[Speed: 39]
[Intelligence: 77]
[Willpower: 88]
[Charisma: 50]
[Perception: 72]
[Wisdom: 71]
[WARNING!!!: Bloodlines in awakening phase]
'Fucking hell, just what I needed,' I thought, watching my cousin sitting on the Cannibal's back.
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